Get Your Pretense On!

114 • Get Your Pretense On!

called to speak and act with Christ’s authority on behalf of his interests and reputation.

Amazingly, every one of us who clings to Christ in faith has been called to live as his own ambassadors in the world, literally acting as his agents (and not-so-secret!) of the King and his Kingdom! “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven” (Matt. 5.14-16). The challenge of representing Christ as his ambassador is a formative objective in the life of every person called by God to salvation. Regardless of your background or training, irrespective of your history or experience, now that you have come to Jesus, you have been called to represent his interests and will, to represent him in all that you say and do. To live as an ambassador is a full-time responsibility. All that is done, said, and accomplished must now be done with your true citizenship in mind, providing the kind of representation of your Homeland that honors and communicates its allegiances and commitments. Nothing you do is for your own sake alone. And this high standard applies to every person who names the Name of him who has placed them in this high office of representing the will of the Kingdom of God. Paul Tripp summarizes this key point well in one of his reflections on the meaning of the term “ambassador” for believers in Christ. Every Disciple Is an Ambassador of Jesus Christ: Everyone, Everywhere, All the Time

One of my all-time favorite verses is 2 Cor. 5:20 – “Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us.